The preliminary round of the EHF EURO 2024 produced some huge surprises, with powerhouses bowing out of the competition, after underwhelming performances, which saw them ending up outside the top two places in their groups, the ones making it to the main round in Cologne and Hamburg.

Undoubtedly, the biggest surprise was Spain’s elimination, as the bronze medallists from the 2023 IHF Men’s World Championship, had a six-edition semi-finals streak snapped, after conceding a loss against Croatia, 29:39, and drawing their last match against Austria, 33:33.

Austria, which made the main round three times in their previous five appearances at the EHF EURO and missed out on qualifying at the 2023 IHF Men’s World Championship, was the surprise package of the competition so far, drawing against Croatia (28:28) and Spain (33:33), progressing to the main round unbeaten.

🎶 "Good times never seemed so good" 🎵🇦🇹 #ehfeuro2024 #HereToPlay @HandballAustria pic.twitter.com/Iq0pdcSPRN

— EHF EURO (@EHFEURO) January 16, 2024

Croatia were the second team from the group to progress to the main round, as their huge win against Spain saw them earn the favourite status for the first place, which they ultimately clinched. However, Croatia will start with one point in the next phase, the same number as Austria, after their draw.

Reigning world champions Denmark delivered three excellent performances in the preliminary round in Munich, taking three clear wins, 23:14 against Czechia, 40:28 against Greece and 37:27 against Portugal, confirming their credentials as one of the title favourites, as they are one of the four teams with a perfect record after the first three matches.

In Group A, hosts Germany started with two wins, 27:14 against Switzerland and 34:25 against North Macedonia, but did not manage to clinch a win against France in the last round, after an exciting match, which went back and forth, but eventually the reigning Olympic champions took a 33:30 win, to win the group and start the main round with two points.

In the most balanced group of the EHF EURO, which saw five of the six matches finish by a maximum of a two-goal gap, Hungary started the European premium competition with three wins in a row for the first time in 14 appearances, beating Montenegro (26:24), Serbia (28:27) and Iceland (33:25).

Due to their win against Montenegro, 31:30, Iceland made it through, while Serbia finished last, with a single point, in a stunning development for Toni Gerona’s side, as they ended up on the 19th place, the worst-ever placement in a major international competition.

Slovenia were also one of the big surprises, taking three wins against Norway, Poland and the Faroe Islands, starting the main round with two points, as their 28:27 win against Slovenia was crucial in their participation in the competition. The Faroe Islands, which saw 5,000 fans join their journey, finished on the last position, but clinched a stunning draw against Norway, 26:26.

For the first time since 2002, Sweden started the EHF EURO with three wins in a row, but they were nearly derailed by the Netherlands, in a fantastic match, which the fourth-placed side at Poland/Sweden 2023 won by the slightest of margins, 29:28.

The Netherlands also progressed for the second time in a row, highlighting their potential, as the Dutch side continue their ascension, after finishing on the 14th place at the 2023 IHF Men’s World Championship.

Two players – Spain’s Aleix Gomez and Germany’s Juri Knorr – were the top scorers of the preliminary round, with 24 goals, followed by Faroe’s Elias Ellefsen á Skipagøtu and Hákun West Av Teigum, with 23 goals, and Georgia’s Giorgi Tskhovrebadze, with 21 goals.

The main round of the EHF EURO 2024 will take place in Cologne and Hamburg between 17 and 24 January, with the top two sides in each of the main round groups progressing to the semi-finals.

The winners of the EHF EURO 2024 will qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, while two other spots are available for the teams that are not already qualified for the Olympic Qualification Tournaments in March.

EHF EURO 2024 – Main round
Group I: 1. Hungary 2p, 2. France 2p, 3. Croatia 1p, 4. Austria 1p, 5. Germany 0p, 6. Iceland 0p
Group II: 1. Denmark 2p, 2. Sweden 2p, 3. Slovenia 2p, 4. Netherlands 0p, 5. Norway 0p, 6. Portugal 0p

Photo credit: EHF / Jozo Cabraja / Kolektiff Images